break up

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Word: Break Up

Definition:
"Break up" is a phrasal verb that has a few different meanings, but it generally refers to the act of separating or causing something to come to an end. It is often used in the context of relationships or groups.

Usage Instructions:

• As a verb: "break up" is used to describe when two people end their romantic relationship or when a group stops functioning as a unit.
• Can be used in both formal and informal contexts.

Examples:

1. In Relationships:

   • "After five years together, they decided to break up." (This means they ended their romantic relationship.)

2. In Groups:

   • "The meeting will break up at 3 PM." (This means the meeting will end and people will leave.)

3. In Science:

   • "The chemist will break up the compounds into smaller parts." (This means separating the compounds into their individual elements.)

Advanced Usage:

• "The band decided to break up after their last concert." (This indicates the band will no longer perform together.)
• "The ice began to break up as the weather warmed." (This means the ice was starting to melt or come apart.)

Word Variants:

• Breakup (noun): Refers to the end of a relationship. Example: "Their breakup was difficult for both of them."
• Breaking up (gerund): The process of ending a relationship or group. Example: “Breaking up can be hard, especially after many years together.”

Different Meanings:

1. To separate physically: "The kids broke up the cookie into smaller pieces."
2. To end an association: "The organization broke up because of differences in opinions."
3. To disperse: "The crowd began to break up after the concert ended."

Synonyms:

• Separate
• Dissolve
• Split
• Disband
• Part ways

Idioms and Related Phrasal Verbs:

• Split up: A synonym for "break up," often used in the same contexts.

  • Example: "They decided to split up after a long discussion."

• Break down: This can refer to a failure in communication or a mental/emotional collapse.

  • Example: "She broke down in tears after the breakup."

Conclusion:

"Break up" is a versatile phrasal verb that can describe the end of relationships, the dispersal of groups, or the separation of physical elements.

Academic

Verb

1. laugh unrestrainedly
2. separate (substances) into constituent elements or parts
3. cause to separate
   • break up kidney stones
   • disperse particles
4. break or cause to break into pieces
   • The plate fragmented
5. come to an end
   • Their marriage dissolved
   • The tobacco monopoly broke up
6. bring the association of to an end or cause to break up
   • The decree officially dissolved the marriage
   • the judge dissolved the tobacco company
7. close at the end of a session
   • The court adjourned
8. release ice
   • The icebergs and glaciers calve
9. attack with or as if with a pickaxe of ice or rocky ground, for example
   • Pick open the ice
10. set or keep apart
    • sever a relationship
11. destroy the completeness of a set of related items
    • The book dealer would not break the set
12. take apart into its constituent pieces
13. suffer a nervous breakdown
14. cause to go into a solution
    • The recipe says that we should dissolve a cup of sugar in two cups of water
15. make a break in
    • We interrupt the program for the following messages
16. break violently or noisily; smash;
17. come apart
    • the group broke up
18. discontinue an association or relation; go different ways
    • The business partners broke over a tax question
    • The couple separated after 25 years of marriage
    • My friend and I split up
19. to cause to separate and go in different directions
    • She waved her hand and scattered the crowds

Synonyms

• crack up
• decompose
• break down
• disperse
• scatter
• fragment
• fragmentize
• fragmentise
• dissolve
• adjourn
• recess
• calve
• pick
• sever
• break
• disassemble
• dismantle
• take apart
• break apart
• crack
• crock up
• collapse
• resolve
• interrupt
• disrupt
• cut off
• crash
• separate
• part
• split